Spring terminal clip



March 30, 1937. WACHSMAN 2,075,072

SPRING TERMINAL CLIP Filed Oct. 31, 1935 JZkfiae/ zrisman/ W2 1, 25 INVEMOR.

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Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in spring terminal clips of the type which is made from a strip of conducting'material such as brass and formed so that two portions of the strip oppose each other in order to grip a conductor.

The object of the invention is to provide a generally improved spring terminal clip characterized by that it may be used with equal facility for receiving the end of a conductor to be inserted l0 endwise as well as for connecting a conductor at a point intermediate the ends thereof. Another object of the invention is to provide the terminal clip with a finger grip portion whereby to facilitate the operation thereof and also to construct 15 the clip in such a manner that the opposing portions thereof be formed with relatively long guiding surfaces so that the conductor may be quickly and easily attached. In the drawing accompanying this specification 20 Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 illustrate one form of the invention showing the terminal clip in Various stages of operation.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are similar views illustrating another form of the invention.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 illustrate still another form of the invention.

Fig. 11 shows a modification of the form shown in Figure 4.

Terminal spring clips of the type herein referred to are made from a strip of conducting material bent to form two opposing members adapted to engage the opposite sides of a conductor with a firm grip.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the clip consists of a base portion I from which two upper hooks 2 are struck up and curved forwardly. The ends of the hooks have outwardly bent guiding lips 3. The portion of the base from which the hooks are struck up form openings 4 and the material to each side of the openings are curved downwardly as at 5. The clip is bent forwardly upon itself to form a relatively large spring loop 6 and a thumb rest portion I. The end of the strip forms lower hooks 8 curved downwardly and adapted to pass between the upper hooks 2 preparatory to receiving the conductor 9.

It will be understood that the clip base is attached in some suitable manner to a supporting member not shown so that the base is relatively firm. In operation the clip is closed by the operator placing his thumb upon the thumb rest I and pressing the upper leg of the clip down upon the base, the hooks 8 passing between the hooks 2 until they come to rest in the depression 4 as shown in Figure 2. There is thus formed a wide entrance between the opposed hooks through which the conductor may be easily passed as indicated in Figure 2. The operator then lets go of the upper leg of the clip and the lower hooks B then spring upward and inward against the upper hook and the conductor is firmly gripped by the clip.

It will be noted that the clip is constructed so that the hooks thereof point in the same direction and that the operator in closing the clip has a full view of the hooks. Also that because of the depression at 4 the lower hooks 8 may be depressed further from the upper hooks than if such depression was absent. It should also be noted that the inside opposed surfaces of the hooks act as guiding surfaces to steer the conductor into final position.

In Figure 5 the base portion I2 is formed with an upwardly curved hook portion l3 which is provided with a hole I4 for the downward passage of the lower hook member I5. The latter is carried by the thumb rest portion 16 which merges into the spring loop II. The base portion l2 forms the upper hook member, the end of which extends in the same direction as the lower hook I5. When the clip is closed as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5, the hook l5 passes down through the hole l4 far enough to provide a wide entrance for the conductor I8 into the clip as shown, in Figure 5. The underside of the base near l4 and the inside of the hook form guiding surfaces against which the conductor may glide in passing into the clip. When the conductor is within the opening I4, the hook l5 lifts up and grips the conductor as in Figure 6.

Figures 8 to 10 illustrate a clip in which the lower hook member 20 is apertured as at 2| and in operation is pressed down against the base portion 22 in order to provide a wide entrance for the conductor 23 into the clip as shown in Figure 8 in dotted lines. The upper hook 24 is struck up from the base 22 and formed with a guiding lip 25. The upper leg of the clip has a thumb. rest portion 26 merging into the spring loop 21.

Figure 11 shows a clip like Figure 4 but having a lesser number of prongs.

It will be noted that all the clips illustrated in the drawing have as a common feature that the upper leg of the clip is depressible to form a very wide entrance for the conductor. Also that they have a thumb rest portion between the hooks and the spring loop. The hooks in Figures 1 to '7 point in the same direction.

I claim:

A terminal connector of the character described consisting of a strip of conducting ma terial one end of which forms an angularly bent base having a hook cut out and bent upwardly therefrom, the other end of the strip being bent 5 back upon the base in a loop to form a depressible spring clip arm ending in downwardly curved spaced hook fingers which latter, when depressed into operative position, form lower conductor retaining fingers to each side of the said bent up 10 hook which latter forms an upper cooperating conductor retaining finger, the base being curved downwardly to each side of the said bent up hook 

